Apparatus for facilitating tunnel construction.



PATBNTED AUG. 11,;1903,

J. V. DAVIES. APPARATUS FOR FAGILITATING TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1903.

1T0 IODEL.

Y E N D" O ..T T A Tn; nomus PEYEns co. PHuTo-Ln'nu, wunmawn, n c,

UNITED STATES Fatented August 11, 1903;

' PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN VIPOND DAVIES, on FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING TUNNEL ooNsTR uoTloN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,718, dated August11, 1903'. Application filed June 1, 1903. Serial No. 159.500. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN VIPOND DAVIES, a citizen of Great Britain,residing at Flushing, in the county of Queens, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forFacilitating Tunnel Construction, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to apparatus for facilitating tunnel construction,the object of my invention being to expedite the removal of excavatedmaterial by making it possible to remove the same simultaneously withthe construction of the tunnel-lining. Heretofore in driving tunnels ithas been necessary to excavate, load up, and remove all the spoilmaterial broken down before it has been possible to commence theerection of any portion of the permanent lining of the tunnel. This workhas been accomplished by slow labor, and has consequently delayed therapid progress of tunnel construction. This invention provides a meanswhereby the loading of the excavated material is a mere incident to itsbeing broken down. Immediately upon a certain amount of spoil materialbeing cut away or broken down it is removed mechanically a sufficientdistance to permit the erection of the tunnel-lining simultaneously withthe manual removal of the said material from the conveyor.

The accompanying drawings illustrate conventionally a portion of atunnel and myimproved apparatus for facilitating the construction of thesame.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tunnel with myapparatus located within the same and illustrated in elevation. Fig. 2is a longitudinal section of the tunnel and side elevation of myapparatus.

1 represents the lining of a tunnel.

2 2 represent a pair of skids constituting a carriage,which may bepushed to and fro upon the inside bot-tom of the tunnel-lining 1.

3 is a conveyer-platform extending across the tunnel-lining near thebottom, yet slightly above it, the edges of the said platform lyingclosely adjacent to the inner wall of the tunnel-lining 1 and so as toact as a partition. The platform 3 is mounted upon suitable rollers orbearings 4, guided upon the skids 2 2, which, in effect, may form tracksfor said rollers or antifriction bearings. When a shield, such as iswell known in tunnel construction, is used at 5, the same may be coupledwith the skids 2 2 by means of a suitable link 6, so that as the shieldadvances the skids will also advance. The platform 3 may be slid backand forth upon the skids 2. The forward end of the skids 2 when in theirextreme advanced position stand substantially over the forward end ofthe completed tunnel-lining. This is best seen in Fig. 2.

7 represents a track which may be laid in the bottom of the completedtunnel-lining.

8 represents a bridge spanning the gap between the track 7 and theplatform 3, so that a car may be moved through the tunnel close up to oron the platform 3 to be filled with the excavated spoil which may beupon the platform 3.

9 9 are uprights mounted on the platform 3 and carrying a track 10, uponwhich may be slidably mounted a carriage 11. The length of this track 10is preferably greater than the length of the platform 3. If desired, apair of tracks l0 10, as shown in Fig. l, and a pair of carriages 11 11,as shown therein, may be employed.

From the foregoing description of the parts the operation may beunderstood. The skids are first moved, so that their forward ends standsubstantially over the inner or forward end of the tunnel-lining 1. Whenthe material to be excavated is cut down, it will fall upon theconveyer-platform 3, which may be advanced to the shield or forward wallto close the gap-f0r example, over link 6. Since the platformsubstantially partitions off .the bottom of the tunnel, this spoilmaterial will not get underneath the platform, so as to interfere withits being moved back upon the skids 2. When the platform is loaded, itis moved back from its forwardposit-ion, so that its rear endwill standover the rear end of the skids. The moving back of the platformwithdraws the spoil materiah so that the mechanics may'h ave'room to setup. and secure the tunnel-lining in place in front simultaneously withthe removing of the muck or spoil to the rear. This may be accomplishedin the usual way, excepting that instead of removing itfrom the bottomof the tunnel it is conveyed by the movable par ti tion-platformsimultaneously with the setting up of the lining-plates. Theliningplates may be carried forward simultaneously by means of thecarriage 11, to which the plates may be attached and by which they maybe moved forward over the spoil material to their destination. The spoilmaterial may be loaded onto cars,which maybe brought up to the platformby the track 7 and bridge 8, and as soon as the spoil is removed thetunnel-plates and the lining-plates are in place. The skids may be againadvanced to the forward edge of the tunnel-lining. The carriage may beadvanced and an additional amount of spoil deposited thereon to bequickly removed by retracting the platform, whereupon the furtherextension of the tunnel by the introduction of new plates may be carriedon.

By my invention it will be apparent to an engineer familiar with thisart that a substantial saving in time and labor, and consequently inexpense, is attained.

What I claim is-- 1. In an apparatus for facilitating the constructionof tunnels, a movable platform partitioning oi the bottom of the tunnel,a support for said platform comprising skids or the like movable in saidtunnel.

2. In an apparatus for facilitating the construction of tunnels, amovable platform partitioning off the bottom of the tunnel, a supportfor said platform comprising skids or the like movable in said tunnel,and means carried by the platform for transferring tunnel-plates orother devices from one end of said platform to the other and over oraround spoil that may be thereon.

3. In an apparatus for facilitating the construction of tunnels, amovable platform partitioning off the bottom of the tunnel, a supportfor said platform comprising skids or the like movable in said tunnel,tracks within the tunnel, and a bridge connecting said platform withsaid tracks.

JOHN VIPOND DAVIES.

Witnesses:

ROBT. S. ALLYN, L. VREELAND.

